I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9166 

To require the Small Business Administration, the Appalachian Regional 

Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority to enter into an agreement to carry out activities to expand rural entrepreneurship, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2024 

Mr. MOLINARO (for himself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Small Business, 

and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require the Small Business Administration, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional 

Authority to enter into an agreement to carry out activities to expand rural entrepreneurship, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Innovation and 

5 Small Business Expansion Act’’ or the ‘‘RISE Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO EXPAND 

2 RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL 

3 BUSINESS WITHIN APPALACHIA AND DELTA 

4 AREA. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

6 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 

7 the Small Business Administration, the appropriate head 

8 of the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the appro9 priate head of the Delta Regional Authority (in this sec10 tion referred to as the ‘‘covered officials’’) shall enter into 

11 a memorandum of understanding or other appropriate 

12 agreement to carry out activities within the Appalachian 

13 region and the Delta region, as applicable, to expand rural 

14 entrepreneurship and to support small business concerns. 

15 (b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR AGREE16 MENT.—The covered officials shall carry out and coordi17 nate the activities described in subsection (a) by entering 

18 into one or more memoranda of understanding or other 

19 appropriate agreements, as jointly determined by the cov20 ered officials. 

21 (c) INCLUSION OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.—In 

22 carrying out the activities described in subsection (a), the 

23 covered officials shall ensure the inclusion of small busi24 ness concerns in such activities, as appropriate. 


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1 (d) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the ac2 tivities described in subsection (a), the covered officials 

3 may— 

4 (1) carry out reimbursable agreements between 

5 the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Re6 gional Authority, the Small Business Administra7 tion, and other appropriate entities in order to maxi8 mize the effectiveness of activities carried out pursu9 ant to a memorandum or agreement described in 

10 subsection (b); and 

11 (2) collaborate with other Federal agencies as 

12 appropriate to carry out such activities. 

13 (e) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 

14 of enactment of this Act, the covered officials shall jointly 

15 submit to Congress a report on activities carried out pur16 suant to a memorandum or agreement described in sub17 section (b) that includes the following: 

18 (1) Coordination between the covered officials 

19 involved in such activities. 

20 (2) Potential opportunities to expand the capac21 ity of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta 

22 Regional Authority, and the Small Business Admin23 istration to provide assistance to rural entrepreneurs 

24 or small business concerns located within the Appa25 lachian region or Delta region, as applicable. 


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1 (3) Number of rural entrepreneurs or small 

2 business concerns assisted through activities carried 

3 out pursuant to such memorandum or agreement. 

4 (4) Areas of future collaboration among the 

5 covered officials for the benefit of rural entre6 preneurs or small business concerns located within 

7 the Appalachian region or Delta region, as applica8 ble. 

9 (5) Plans of the covered officials to continue co10 ordination on activities described in subsection (a). 

11 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

12 (1) APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION.— 

13 The term ‘‘Appalachian Regional Commission’’ 

14 means the commission established by section 

15 14301(a) of title 40, United States Code. 

16 (2) DELTA REGION.—The term ‘‘Delta region’’ 

17 has the meaning given the term ‘‘region’’ in section 

18 382A of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Develop19 ment Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa). 

20 (3) DELTA REGIONAL AUTHORITY.—The term 

21 ‘‘Delta Regional Authority’’ means the entity estab22 lished under subtitle F of the Consolidated Farm 

23 and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2009aa et 

24 seq.). 


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1 (4) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The term 

2 ‘‘small business concern’’ has the meaning given 

3 under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 

4 U.S.C. 632). 

Æ 


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